On Kawara at Guggenheim Museum

Art, Guggenheim Museum, Museum, New York Art, show and exhibition

I went to a very interesting show, On Kawara – Silence at Guggenheim Museum. Since On Kawara is a well-known Japanese artist, I know his work quite while. But I had never seen this volume of his work. This is the first full representation of Kawara’s output, beginning in 1964 and including every category of work, much of it produced during his travels across the globe: date paintings (the Today series); postcards (the I Got Up series); telegrams (the I Am Still Alive series); maps (the I Went series); lists of names (the I Met series); newspaper cuttings (the I Read series); the inventory of paintings (Journals); and calendars (One Hundred Years and One Million Years).
I think his work is performance art in funny way. We are not seeing when he is performing but seeing the record of his performance.

PBS Art21, Documentary Series

Art, ART 21, documentary, PBS

I saw PBS Art21, Documentary Series on Art and Life in the City, Daniel Gordon & Ruby Sky Stiler Take Baby Step. This is a 8minutes mini documentary about a couple who are challenging to balance making their art works and family life. I think many artists are facing same challenge. I mean not only artists but also many of them. This is the phenomena our society is facing. Who can get everything?

Jeff Koons Split-Rocker

show and exhibition

I went to Rockefeller Center to see Jeff Koons Split-Rocker. Presented by Gagosian Gallery and organized by Public Art Fund and Tishman Speyer, Split-Rocker is a spectacular planted form that towers over 37 feet high and features over 50,000 flowering plants. It was first exhibited at Palais des Papes, Avignon in 2000; and subsequently at Château de Versailles (2008) and Fondation Beyeler (2012). It is also in the collection of the Glenstone private museum in Potomac, Maryland, where it has been on view since June of 2013.

It was really fun to see his work at Rockefeller Center. Not only art followers but also people from all over the world who are not interested in contemporary art were enjoying seeing and taking picture with it. Watching at Split-Rocker at Rockefeller Center was a kind of experience. Jeff Koons’ dichotomy and the in-between turned out so fuzzy. I thought it was very interesting.

Ai Weiwei: According to What? at Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum, show and exhibition

Finally I went to Brooklyn Museum to see the show, Ai Weiwei: According to What? Just 2days before the show ended!
Ai Weiwei is one of China’s most prolific and provocative contemporary artists. The works at the show spotlight issues of freedom of expression, as well as individual and human rights both in China and globally. There were videos wich he had been answering the visitors’ questions.
After he was arrested by Chinese authority, he became a super star in West. I was very curious to see his work. Is he famous because of his political activity or his work? I wanted to know. The conclusion is both. He is very bold and his works are provocative. But for my surprise, he has great sense of humor. I love his works which I can see his sense of humor like this piece of the photo.